Editor,
This past week, Bryan Raiser made yet another motion to increase remuneration to council, this time by suggesting that the mayoral remuneration be increased to $60,000 range knowing that, as councillors are supposed to receive 48 per cent of mayoral remuneration, councillor remuneration would rise to about $30,000 ["Council raiser defeated," The Chief, March 26].
Remuneration for council members is not supposed to be a household supporting income: remuneration is upped to reflect recognition of the public service that election to municipal office entails.
When individuals campaign for election to council, they should know what the remuneration is and approximately the time required to carry out their commitment to public service.
This time commitment includes any required reading. A councillor's remuneration is about $17,243 per annum. If one considers that about a third of the remuneration is tax exempt, the effective annual remuneration, using a 20 per cent average tax rate, would be about $20,700.
Considering that the two councillors (Raiser and Heintzman) who voted for an increase in remuneration to about $30,000 do not, to my knowledge, actually have regular jobs, the question is begged "Where can you do better and, if you can do better, why don't you get a regular job?"
This district is continually going deeper into debt: instead of accelerating the process, try to slow it down by finding ways to save money, not spend more.
Congratulations go to the rest of council for voting only a very small increase.
Larry McLennan
Squamish
